Look what we have here.......

That is what the nurse practitioner said to me as she was doing our 8 week ultrasound. Look. What. We. Have. Here. 5 simple words that changed the course of our lives instantly and forever. My husband and I were high school sweethearts and have been married for 3.5 years. We are very organized and planned people. We had a time line for everything and we were right on track. Well after 18 months of TTC we finally got the beautiful double pink line and all of our planning and organizing was about to go out the window! At 8 weeks we went in for our first appointment. I was so excited and nervous. Morning sickness had begun at 5 weeks and I no longer fit into my size 6 jeans, they were being held together by a rubber band (glamorous, I know!) So after waiting for more than an hour for our appointment we were called back. The NP was very kind and apologized several times for the delay. She suggested we start with the ultrasound so Mike could make it to his lunch plans on time. She puts the baby on the screen and explains everything, the arm and leg buds, the heartbeat, the measurements, everything. Then she prints a picture for me and a picture for her file. She then says she "is going to look around and make sure everything is ok" She barely moves the wand and up pops the baby. She smiles, "Look what we have here." I look at her, she is smiling, I look at Mike he is smiling. I look again at the ultrasound screen- um, ok. All I see is the same baby I saw 30 seconds earlier. I thought she was going to look around? I ask what is going on and she says..."I think you are having twins." My response is, "you think or you know??" She laughs and says, "Oh no, I know. Here let me put both babies on the screen"
I'll be honest as sit here typing this I can still remember every detail about that 5 minutes in my life. Most of the first 6 months after my girls were born are a complete and total blur. I do remember that I gained 47 pounds while pregnant and that the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy were very scary- the girls were discordant and I was in the doctor's office 3-4 times a week for 7 weeks straight. Each visit I brought a packed bag with me in case my little one was not doing well and I had to be delivered that day. In the end the girls came at 36 weeks 5 days- perfectly healthy, weighing in at 4 pounds 11 oz and 6 pounds 8 oz. It's been a rough but rewarding 10 1/2 months but their first birthday is right around the corner. My husband and I both work full time and sometimes the ends barely meet in the middle. But, it is worth it. Every single minute of it. Yes, it's exhausting and although most people think "you must have a lot of help if you have two" we don't. It's just Mike and I in the boat together with our two beautiful babies.
I wouldn't want it any other way.

Madison left, Allie right